Byakuya's First Christmas
by thorny21
Summary: What happens when Ichigo visits the Soul Society to deliver gifts? And why does Byakuya have a sudden interest in Christmas?


**Byakuya's First Christmas**

**Byakuya/Ichigo**

**Slight Fluff, Waayy OOC'ness **

**What happens when Ichigo delivers gifts to the Soul Society? And why is Byakuya inquiring about Christmas? **

"Ichigo what are you doing here?" Rukia asked upon seeing the substitute soul reaper. He was carrying a large bag with him.

"I came to deliver some presents," Ichigo replied.

"Presents?" Renji asked curiously.

"Yes, they're Christmas presents," Ichigo stated.

"Do you need any help?" asked Rukia.

"No, it won't take me very long. Here's yours," Ichigo said as he set the bag down and pulled out two gifts handing them to his two friends.

"Thanks, Ichigo," Rukia and Renji said with a smile.

"Remember you can't open them until Christmas day," Ichigo reminded them.

"We know," Renji said as he shook his package.

"And no peeking," Ichigo warned with a laugh. Renji raised a brow at that.

"Are you saying I would?" he asked.

"I think he pretty much did," Rukia deadpanned.

"I have more gifts to give out so I better be going," Ichigo said.

"Okay, thanks, Ichigo. Merry Christmas!" Rukia called out as the strawberry went on his way. He spent the next hour handing out gifts to everyone, Captains and Lieutenants alike. Finally he was down to the last gift and he found himself on his way to the Kuchiki Manor. He found the noble in his study, busily going over his paperwork.

"What are you doing here, Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked, without bothering to look up at the boy.

"I came to give you your gift," Ichigo stated. Byakuya looked over at the teen, eyebrow raised.

"Gift? Why would you give me such a thing?" he asked.

"Its for Christmas," Ichigo replied.

"Christmas? What is Christmas?" Byakuya asked. He was unfamiliar with the term.

"Christmas is a human holiday that we celebrate at the end of December," Ichigo told him as he handed him a red wrapped gift with a golden bow.

"Thank you, Kurosaki. But you needn't have bothered," Byakuya said before turning back to his work.

"It wasn't a bother, Byakuya. I wanted to get it for you," Ichigo said.

"I thank you then," Byakuya said simply.

"You're welcome," Ichigo said as he folded the large sack. He headed back out the door and was almost to the Senkaimon when he noticed he was being followed by the noble.

"Where are you going?" Byakuya asked.

"Back home," Ichigo said.

"Didn't you just get here a little while ago?" Byakuya asked. Surely the strawberry wasn't intending on leaving so soon.

"Yes but I only came to deliver everyone's gifts," Ichigo replied.

"I see," the raven stated.

"But I have to go now. Yuzu and Karin are waiting for me," Ichigo told him.

"Oh, very well then. You'd best be on your way," Byakuya said before turning around and heading back to the Kuchiki Manor. He didn't notice the smile on Ichigo's face as he walked through the gate. Byakuya went back to his study and sat in silence. Christmas? What was Christmas? He had never heard of this human holiday. He got up from his chair and left his study, heading for his library. He looked over many of his books but found nothing on Christmas. Sighing, he decided to seek out Jushiro Ukitake. He had been to the human world before and might know something about it. He left his home and made his way to the 13th Division in search of the white haired man. It didn't take him long to find him. Jushiro was in his sitting room drinking tea while looking over some papers. Byakuya knocked gently on the door frame to get the other man's attention. Jushiro looked up and smiled when he saw the raven haired man.

"Byakuya come in. Join me for some tea," Jushiro said. Byakuya nodded and went to kneel at the small table.

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake," Byakuya said as Jushiro poured him a cup of tea.

"You're welcome. Now what do I owe this visit?" Jushiro asked. Byakuya took a tentative sip of the hot liquid before meeting the Captain's eyes.

"I know you have been to the human world and I would like you to explain something to me," Byakuya started. Jushiro raised a brow at the noble.

"Oh, like what?" he asked.

"This morning Ichigo came to give me a gift. He just left to return to the human world," Byakuya said.

"Ah yes, Ichigo brought me a gift for Christmas as well," Jushiro said with a nod.

"So you know what this…Christmas is, then?" Byakuya wanted to know.

"I know a little about it, but not much I'm afraid," Jushiro admitted.

"Would anyone else know about it?" Byakuya asked. He really wanted to know what this Christmas stuff was all about. He kind of felt bad that Ichigo couldn't stay longer. Shaking the thought from his mind, he turned his attention back to the white haired man in front of him.

"If you want to know about it, why don't you go to the human world as well?" Jushiro suggested.

"I would not want to intrude," the noble replied.

"Somehow I doubt Ichigo would consider it an intrusion," Jushiro deadpanned.

"I will think on it. Thank you for the tea," Byakuya said as he finished his cup. He stood up and bowed slightly to the elder Captain before retreating back to his home once more. He went back to his study and plopped down into his chair before picking up his pen. He tried to concentrate on his work but his mind was filled with questions about the holiday in the human world. Sighing once more, he got to his feet and went to his room, intending on sleeping the thoughts away. Byakuya tossed and turned most of the night, his thoughts plaguing him relentlessly. Giving up, he got out of bed, only to see that it was just starting to get light out. He hurriedly got dressed and left the manor. Walking around in the almost lightening skies, he ended up by the Senkaimon. He looked around him to see if anyone was near before heaving a sigh and going through the gates.

Once in the human world, he headed straight to Kisuke Urahara's shoten.

"Byakuya-san, what are you doing here?" the blonde man asked as soon as he saw the noble.

"I came to see Kurosaki about a certain matter," Byakuya told the perverted shop keeper.

"Then you will need a gigai," Kisuke said nodding to himself.

"Yes, I would appreciate it if you could provide me with one," Byakuya said. Kisuke quickly got up to retrieve the raven's gigai. Handing it to him, Byakuya put it on and without a word, he disappeared out the door. He followed Ichigo's leaking spiritual pressure to his home next to the Kurosaki Clinic. Seeing no one around, he jumped up into the teen's bedroom window. Byakuya paused to watch the teen curiously. Ichigo was busy swaying his hips in time to the music playing on the radio. From what the noble could tell it was Christmas music. After all, it was singing something about a White Christmas. Soon the song died away and without turning around Ichigo spoke up.

"Are you going to stand on my window sill all day or are you going to come in?" he said. Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise. Since when did Ichigo become able to sense spiritual pressure?

"Very well," Byakuya said. Byakuya climbed in the window and sat on the bed. Before he could ask, Ichigo turned around and held up a tiny silver mirror.

"I could see you," he said by way of explanation.

"What are you doing with such a small mirror?" Byakuya asked as he looked at it.

"It's a gift for Yuzu. I was going to wrap it for Christmas," Ichigo said.

"Ah I see," Byakuya replied.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Ichigo asked, turning back to wrap the gift for his sister.

"I came to find out about this….Christmas," Byakuya said simply.

"You mean you don't know anything about it?" Ichigo asked in disbelief. Byakuya shook his head slightly.

"It is a human holiday. It is not something we celebrate in the Seireitei," he deadpanned. Ichigo's eyes lit up and he turned around to face the noble.

"Then I'll just have to make sure you learn as much as you can," he said. He reached over and grabbed the noble by the hand, dragging him out of the room.

"Where are you taking me, Kurosaki?" Byakuya demanded.

"Don't you want to learn about Christmas?" Ichigo said.

"Yes, but can't you just tell me?" Byakuya asked.

"Hell no! You gotta experience it first hand!" Ichigo said as he led the noble out of the house towards town. Byakuya stared after the strawberry teen curiously as he allowed the boy to drag him down the street. Twenty minutes later Byakuya found himself at Karakura Town Mall.

"What are we doing here?" he asked.

"You'll see…." Ichigo stated vaguely. As they entered the mall he let go of the raven's hand so he could walk beside him. Ichigo kept glancing at the noble as he looked around at all the decorations and lights in the window shops. At one particular store Byakuya stopped walking to stare into it. There, inside, was the same man that he had seen pictures of all over the other stores' windows. Ichigo noticed the man was no longer beside him so he turned back to see where he had gotten off to.

"What are you looking at?" Ichigo asked him as he came up beside him.

"Who is that man? His picture is all over," Byakuya asked, never taking his eyes off the fat man in the red suit. Ichigo looked into the store and he started to laugh happily.

"That's Santa Clause. He's the one that brings all the gifts on Christmas Eve," Ichigo informed him.

"Santa Clause?" Byakuya said uncertainly. Ichigo nodded.

"He lives at the North Pole and on Christmas Eve he and his reindeer fly all over the world to give gifts to all good girls and boys," Ichigo explained. Byakuya tore his eyes away from the bearded man to look at Ichigo.

"Just the good ones? What about the bad ones?" Byakuya wondered.

"They get coal," Ichigo replied. He grabbed the noble's hand again and dragged him into the store.

"Wait a minute, Kurosaki," Byakuya said as he stumbled a bit before catching himself. Ichigo took him over to stand in a long line of kids and adults alike. They stood in line silently, all the while Byakuya was wondering just what the strawberry had in mind. Soon it was their turn at the front of the line. With a smirk at the noble, Ichigo ran up and sat on Santa's lap.

"Well hello there young man! Have you been a good boy this year?" Santa asked.

"I tried my best, Santa," Ichigo replied. Santa chuckled.

"That's all I can ask. What can I get you for Christmas?" he asked.

"It's a secret," Ichigo stated before leaning in and whispering in the man's ear. Byakuya watched as the man simply nodded as Ichigo continued to whisper in his ear.

"I'll see what I can do," Santa said after the teen was finished.

"Say cheese!" a woman with long blonde hair wearing an elf outfit said. Ichigo looked at the woman with a big smile as she snapped the picture.

"Here's your candy cane," Santa said as he handed the candy to the teen.

"Thanks," Ichigo said. He quickly jumped off of Santa's lap and went to stand by Byakuya.

"Your turn," he smirked. Byakuya's eyes went wide.

"Absolutely not! I refuse," he stated firmly.

"You want to learn about Christmas right? This is part of it," Ichigo replied. Byakuya looked at the teen for a few moments before finally giving in. He made his way over to the fat man in the suit and plopped onto his lap.

"Hello there! Have you been a good boy this year?" Santa asked the raven. Byakuya looked to Ichigo who was nodding his head.

"Yes," Byakuya told the man.

"Good to hear. What would you like for Christmas?" Santa asked him.

"It's a secret?" Byakuya said, unsure. What did he want for Christmas? What was he supposed to want? He could only think of one thing and he leaned in to whisper into the man's ear as Ichigo had done before him. Again Santa just nodded until the raven sat back away from his ear.

"I'll see what can be done," Santa told the man. The same blonde woman came back and knelt in front of them just as she had with Ichigo.

"Say cheese!" she said.

"Cheese?" Byakuya said as she snapped the picture. When she was finished he got up off the fat man's lap.

"Here's your candy cane," Santa said, holding the treat out to the noble. Byakuya took it and hurried back to the strawberry teen's side.

"Well that was…interesting. What do we do now?" he asked the teen.

"We look around some more then come back for the pictures," Ichigo said as he watched a small boy with no hair in a wheelchair struggle to get to Santa. He finally made it to him and Santa pulled him up onto his lap. The small child's face held a big grin.

"Why is that boy smiling? He is obviously sick," Byakuya asked as he continued to watch the child.

"Just because he is sick doesn't mean he's not happy," Ichigo stated as he listened to what the boy was saying.

"What would you like for Christmas this year?" Santa asked the boy. Byakuya fell silent as he waited to hear what the boy would say.

"I want to get better so I can be a police officer like my Nii-chan," the boy said happily. Ichigo turned around when he heard the sound of someone crying. He knew instantly that the woman behind him was the boy's mother.

"Why is she crying?" Byakuya whispered to the strawberry. He was surprised to see tears shining in the boy's eyes.

"That little boy has cancer," Ichigo whispered back.

"Cancer?" Byakuya said. He had heard the word before but couldn't remember what it meant for the little boy.

"Yes, he's going to die, Byakuya," Ichigo explained. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled the raven haired man out of the store. He took a moment to collect himself before continuing through the mall. Byakuya looked over his shoulder at the little boy as Santa placed him back in his wheelchair.

"_He's going to die? He can't be much more than three or four,_" Byakuya thought to himself as he followed after Ichigo. He felt something pull at his heart but wasn't sure what it was. He brushed the feeling aside as Ichigo led him to yet another store. Inside this store there were decorations of all kinds. Byakuya looked around in amazement at all the bright, glittering colors. He looked around quickly when he noticed Ichigo was no longer at his side.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo yelled, gaining the man's attention. Byakuya tried his best to hide his smirk upon seeing the teen. Ichigo was standing in one of the aisles wearing a reindeer headband. Ichigo laughed as he reached up and pressed a button on the center of the band, causing the little reindeers' noses to light up bright red. Ichigo bent over and picked up another hat off the shelf and started for Byakuya. Seeing the teen coming, the noble tried to back away, but wasn't fast enough.

"Ichigo what do you think you're doing?" he asked as Ichigo came up to him.

"Try this on," Ichigo told him. Byakuya kept backing away while shaking his head.

"I refuse," he stated firmly. Ichigo kept walking towards him until the noble hit another shelf, having nowhere else to go.

"Please? It's part of the Christmas spirit," Ichigo tried while giving his best puppy eyes. Byakuya dropped his hands to his sides upon seeing the teen's pleading look. Without further protest from the raven, Ichigo pressed his body against him as he stood on tiptoe to get the Santa hat on his head. As he did so Byakuya held his breath. Since he was a bit taller than the boy, Ichigo being on tip toe brought his lips dangerously close to his own. Relenting Byakuya bent his head down slightly so the teen could put the hat on his head. Once he was finished, Ichigo stepped back and Byakuya blew out the breath he had been holding.

"Feel better now?" Byakuya sighed. He felt ridiculous as he looked in a nearby mirror at the red hat with white trim. Part of the hat was hanging down over his right shoulder with a big fuzzy white ball at the end. Turning back, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the orange haired substitute Shinigami. Ichigo had a big smile on his face that made his eyes light up.

"You look great!" Ichigo stated as he grabbed the man's hand once again and took off towards the back of the store. Byakuya had never seen animated toys like the ones Ichigo was currently showing him. Ichigo started dancing and singing along as he set off an old man in a rocking chair.

"_Grandma got run over by a reindeer, coming home from our house Christmas Eve. If you say there's no such thing as Santa, as for me and Grandpa we believe,_" he sang as the toy rocked back and forth while singing. Getting into it a little bit, Byakuya walked down the aisle setting off many of the toys. Ichigo whipped his head around to look at the man before running out the aisle, grabbing Byakuya as he went. Ichigo was laughing as he dragged the noble away from the many singing toys. Ichigo and Byakuya took their hats off before running out of the store. They slowed to a walk as Ichigo tried to stifle his laughter. Byakuya had all he could do to hide his snickering at the teen's antics.

"Where are we going now?" the man asked.

"Back to get our pictures," Ichigo replied. Just then someone ran into Ichigo, knocking him down.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked as he helped the teen to his feet.

"Yeah I'm okay," Ichigo said. The man that had mowed him over simply watched as the strawberry dusted himself off.

"You idiot! Why don't you watch where you're going?" Byakuya hissed at the man as he stepped closer. The man's eyes grew wide as he backed away. Ichigo darted his hand out and stopped the raven from going any further.

"Don't, its not worth it. Besides, you have to be good, remember?" he reminded. Byakuya stopped in his tracks to look at Ichigo as the other man ran off as quickly as he could.

"Why must I be good?" he asked curiously.

"_Santa sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake,_" Ichigo sang.

"Let me get this straight. He sees me when I'm sleeping, he knows when I'm awake and he knows when I've been bad or good?" Byakuya asked. Ichigo nodded.

"Yup," he replied. Byakuya stared at the teen for a moment.

"I find that rather creepy," the noble deadpanned. Ichigo burst out laughing as they continued on their way back to the store they had gotten their pictures taken with Santa. As they headed back they passed the little boy in the wheelchair holding his picture in his hands. He was all smiles as he looked at it. Byakuya found he wasn't able to look at the child for fear his heart would constrict more painfully than it already was. He was a noble! Captain of Squad 6! He didn't understand how one small child could elicit such an emotion in him. He tried to brush it off once more but froze in his tracks as his eyes met the little boy's. The child smiled up at him with a big toothy grin.

"I got my picture with Santa!" he said happily as he showed it to the raven. Byakuya stared at the picture for a moment unsure of what to say. Ichigo knelt down in front of the boy and took the picture.

"It looks great! Did you tell Santa what you wanted?" he asked.

"Yup, and he's gonna make it come true!" the little boy stated. Byakuya knelt down next to Ichigo and took the picture from the teen.

"It's a very nice picture," Byakuya said with a happiness he didn't feel. The child's mother leaned down towards him.

"Come along, Aito. We have more shopping to do," she said.

"Okay, Kaa-san," Aito replied. Byakuya handed him back the picture and stood up, followed by Ichigo. Aito waved goodbye to them as his mother wheeled him away and disappeared into the crowd.

Ichigo and Byakuya left the mall and headed back to the teen's home. They still needed to get a Christmas tree and Ichigo had promised to take his sisters with him to get one. Byakuya wasn't sure what a Christmas tree was but he supposed he would find out soon enough. It didn't take them long to reach the strawberry's house where the girls were waiting.

"Welcome home, my son!" Isshin cried as he tried to land a kick on the boy. Ichigo easily dodged it before turning to kick his father in the ass, knocking him across the room into the opposite wall.

"Knock it off, goat-face!" Ichigo cried.

"Well countered, my son!" Isshin said proudly as he tried to peel himself off the wall. Byakuya stood in the doorway as he watched the elder Kurosaki get up off the floor.

"Umm…Ichigo?" the noble trailed off as the raven came closer.

"Dad, this is my friend Byakuya. He's gonna be spending Christmas with us," Ichigo said, gaining the man's attention.

"Ichigo, what have I told you about bringing strange men home?" Isshin demanded. Ichigo's face turned red as Byakuya stared at him.

"Shut up! I told you its not like that!" he defended. Isshin raised a brow at the teen in disbelief.

"What about that red head and the boy with turquoise eyes?" he wanted to know.

"I told you! Renji and Toshiro are just friends from school!" Ichigo ranted. Byakuya started to open his mouth but one look from the strawberry had him shutting it once again.

"Just be careful, my son. We don't have to have 'the talk' again are we?" Isshin said. Ichigo's face turned even redder as he grabbed the noble and dragged him out of the room in search of Yuzu and Karin. Byakuya allowed the teen to drag him off into the living room.

"Ichigo, what did he mean by 'the talk'?" he asked in confusion.

"I…I'll tell you when you're older," Ichigo sputtered in embarrassment. Byakuya stopped in his tracks.

"You do realize I'm much older than you," he deadpanned.

"I know, I know! Just…grrr…shut up you," Ichigo retorted. Byakuya was stunned into silence. No one had ever dared tell him to shut up before.

"Ichigo…" he started but was cut off when two young girls came running into the room.

"Onii-chan, we gonna go get a tree now?" the brunette girl asked.

"Yes, we can go now, Yuzu. Get your jackets, okay?" Ichigo replied. Yuzu nodded as she ran to get her coat. Karin stayed behind and stared at Byakuya.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"Byakuya Kuchiki," the noble introduced.

"Karin he's going to be spending Christmas with us," Ichigo explained.

"Oh. Don't you think he'll be cold wearing just that?" the raven haired girl asked. Ichigo looked over to see the noble wearing only a pair of dark blue jeans, sneakers and a white button up shirt with long sleeves.

"Oh right. Come on, I'll get you some warmer clothes," he said as he headed for the stairs. Byakuya glanced at the little girl before following Ichigo up the stairs. As they reached Ichigo's room, the strawberry went straight to his dresser and began to pull out warmer clothes.

By the time they were ready to go Byakuya wore a red Christmas sweater vest with white snowflakes on it and a gray wool jacket over that. Wrapped around his neck was a red and black plaid scarf. Ichigo grabbed his heavy denim jacket and headed out the door with Byakuya and the twins in tow.

"Where we gonna get the tree this year?" Yuzu asked excitedly.

"Not sure yet. I thought we'd look around and see if we can find the best one," Ichigo replied. "Hold my hands so we can cross the street." Yuzu easily slipped her hand into his. When Ichigo looked back he was shocked to see Karin holding Byakuya's hand. The raven haired man looked equally as shocked when he felt the small hand slip into his own. With a simple nod, Ichigo looked both ways before darting out into the street, followed by Byakuya and Karin. Once they got to the other side Karin quickly let go of Byakuya's hand and hurried to her brother's side. Byakuya trailed a little behind them, not wanting to intrude on their family time. Ichigo, sensing the noble was keeping his distance slowed down so the man would catch up. Once the raven was beside them, Ichigo gave a curt nod and continued on his way. Soon they reached a large lot that was filled with Christmas trees. The smell of pine hung thick in the air as they entered and began to look around.

"Remember to stay with one of us at all times," Ichigo reminded the girls as they looked around excitedly.

"Come on, Onii-chan!" Yuzu yelled happily as she took her brother's hand and led him off to look at the trees. Byakuya watched as the little brunette led the strawberry away. He looked down when he felt a slight tug on his sweater vest.

"Yes?" he said as he looked into Karin's eyes.

"I know you're like Ichi-nii," she stated simply before taking his hand and leading him in the opposite direction. Byakuya was too stunned to protest as she dragged him away. He looked over his shoulder only to notice Ichigo and Yuzu had completely disappeared from sight. Sighing he turned back to the raven haired girl who stopped in front of a large tree and was still holding his hand.

"What about this one, Byakuya-san?" she asked as she turned to look at him.

"I've…never picked a tree before," Byakuya admitted.

"Let me show you then. See this one here?" Karin said as she dragged him to another tree.

"Yes," Byakuya replied.

"This one is no good cause the trunk is too thin and the branches aren't fully developed," Karin explained. Byakuya looked the tree over and after a moment nodded to himself.

"I see," he said. Karin took him to another tree to look at.

"This one doesn't have enough branches and the wood is rotted," she explained as she took hold of one branch and easily snapped it in half.

"So this one is no good either," Byakuya mused.

"Right. Now this one here is perfect. It has thick trunk, lots of branches and the wood is solid," Karin continued as she tapped the tree to show what she meant. Byakuya paid close attention to make sure he got everything committed to his memory.

"Karin, Byakuya-san!" Yuzu yelled, making them both turn towards her.

"Yuzu don't run!" Ichigo yelled after her. She was running up to them when she hit an icy spot in the snow and started to fall. Ichigo froze in place when he saw the noble catch his sister fall. Without realizing it, Byakuya used flash step to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked the girl as he scooped her up into his arms.

"Yes, thank you Byakuya-san," Yuzu said shyly. The noble held her for a moment longer as Ichigo reached them.

"Yuzu I told you not to run!" Ichigo scolded. Yuzu dropped her head down so her bangs shadowed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan," she sniffled. Ichigo reached for her and Byakuya quickly placed the girl in his arms.

"It's alright. Just listen to me from now on, okay?" Ichigo said softly as he set the girl on her feet.

"I will. I promise!" Yuzu said with a smile.

"Good, now lets find our tree," Ichigo stated. Everyone nodded as they followed Ichigo around the lot. As they passed the tree Karin had found earlier, she tugged on Byakuya's vest once more.

"Yes?" Byakuya said. Karin simply pointed to the tree before looking back at him.

"Tell Ichi-nii you want that one," she said.

"Me? But its your tree," Byakuya replied.

"Our tree. You're spending Christmas with us, right?" Karin stated. Byakuya nodded once before clearing his throat.

"Ichigo?" he called out softly.

"Yeah what is it?" Ichigo said as he turned around.

"What about this tree?" Byakuya suggested almost shyly. He wasn't sure he should be asking but Karin wouldn't relent until he did. Byakuya waited, holding his breath hoping he picked out a good one.

"This one?" Ichigo said as he looked at it. Ichigo looked over at him and smiled. "It's perfect!" The raven Shinigami blew out the breath he was holding. When he looked down he saw Karin smirking up at him slightly.

"Told ya," she stated. Byakuya could feel the corners of his mouth trying to pull up as he stared at the forward girl.

"Okay, lets pay for it and get it home. We still have to decorate it too," Ichigo said. "Byakuya keep an eye on the girls." Byakuya opened his mouth to speak but it was too late as the strawberry teen had already walked away. He looked down at the two girls and noted Yuzu was shivering.

"Are you cold?" Byakuya asked her.

"A…a little," Yuzu admitted. Byakuya removed his scarf and wrapped it around the small girl before straightening back up.

"That should keep you warmer," he said.

"Thank you, Byakuya-san," Yuzu smiled. A few minutes later Ichigo returned with a tall blonde man with a thick beard.

"Dis da one?" the blonde asked.

"Yes, sir," Ichigo said. The man simply nodded as he cut the ties holding the tree upright and gently set it on the ground.

"Thank you!" Karin and Yuzu said happily as the man walked away.

"How do you plan on getting that home?" Byakuya asked curiously. Ichigo looked over at the man as he knelt down.

"We carry it," he replied as he grabbed the trunk. Yuzu and Karin hurried to the middle and front of the tree as Ichigo hoisted the bottom up onto his shoulder.

"Ready, Onii-chan," Yuzu said as she lifted the lighter part of the tree.

"Me too, Ichi-nii," Karin added.

"Lets go," Ichigo said as he started to walk off, carrying the tree behind him as he went. Byakuya followed them off the lot and watched as the two girls struggled to keep the tree off the ground. Sighing he moved over to them, taking their end of the tree and placed it over his shoulder. Ichigo looked back at the sudden shifting of the tree and was shocked to see Byakuya holding the other end.

"It was too heavy for your sisters," Byakuya said by way of explanation.

"You girls make sure you stay right with us," Ichigo said before turning back to the front.

"We will," Karin said as she rolled her eyes. For a big brother he worried too much. In no time at all the foursome had the tree back at the house. Yuzu and Karin went into the kitchen to make hot cocoa to warm them up. Yuzu decided to make some cookies so they would have something to munch on while they decorated the tree. After the tree was securely standing upright, Ichigo ran upstairs to his room. He came back downstairs a moment later with his stereo in tow. He quickly set it up and placed a Christmas CD in to play.

"Come on, you can help me," Ichigo said as he headed for the attic. Byakuya followed him in silence wondering what the boy was up to this time. Once in the attic Ichigo set to moving boxes around and going through others.

"Aha! I knew it was around here somewhere," he exclaimed as he pushed a box towards the stairs. He turned back and grabbed another as he looked through it as well. Nodding in satisfaction, he slid that box over to the other before standing up and walking over to them. He picked up one box and set it on top of the other before trying to lift them both into his arms. Byakuya said nothing as he reached over and took the top box into his own arms.

"Thank you," Ichigo said as he started down the small stairs that led to the hall near his room. Byakuya came down after him and they both went back into the living room, setting the boxes near the tree.

"Yuzu, Karin! We got the decorations!" Ichigo called out.

"Yay!" Yuzu cried as she and Karin came into the room. Yuzu was carrying a tray filled with cups of hot cocoa while Karin carried a plate of cookies. They set them down on the coffee table before handing Ichigo and Byakuya a cup of the cocoa.

"Here, Byakuya-san," Yuzu said with a smile as she handed the noble a cup. "Be careful its hot."

"Thank you and I will," Byakuya said as he accepted the cup. He looked over at Ichigo as the teen took his own cup and gently blew on it. Byakuya watched as he took a small sip of the hot liquid before doing the same. His eyes lit up as the taste hit his tongue. This was hot cocoa? It was delicious! He could feel the hot liquid warming his entire body.

"Have a seat. We'll warm up a bit more before decorating," Ichigo told the raven. Byakuya nodded and sat on the loveseat behind him. He was surprised when Ichigo moved to sit next to him before reaching out and taking a cookie off the plate. He took a cookie off the plate before absent-mindedly taking a bite of the chewy goodness. He quickly looked over at Ichigo, meeting his eyes.

"Chocolate chip, my favorite!" Ichigo said, letting the man know what he was eating so Yuzu wouldn't know there was something different about him.

"Do you like them, Byakuya-san?" Karin asked, noticing he didn't move to take another bite.

"Yes, they are very good," Byakuya replied.

"Thank you! I made them myself!" Yuzu beamed. Byakuya was surprised to learn the little girl had made the cookies all by herself, and that they were delicious. They finished their cocoa and almost all of the cookies on the plate before the girls dove into the two boxes, pulling out the decorations.

"Hold on, not so fast! You'll tangle everything," Ichigo warned. The girls began to pull things out slower this time and put everything into neat piles. Once everything was separated they began to decorate the tree and the rest of the house. Karin and Yuzu started to hang the garland on the tree as Ichigo cussed about the lights being tangled. Byakuya was trying hard not to laugh as the teen concentrated on untangling the lights. He looked so cute with his face scrunched up in a scowl with his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth. Ichigo heard him snicker and his head shot up to look at him only to see Byakuya quickly look away.

"You think its so funny, do ya? You untangle these ones!" he cried as he picked up another set of lights and tossed them at the man. He started laughing as the lights covered him from head to toe. Yuzu and Karin started laughing at the expression on his face. Byakuya reached up and pulled the lights off his head before laying them in his lap. It didn't take long for him to get frustrated as he tried to untangle the same section of lights for the third time. Byakuya let out a small growl as he set the lights on the floor.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura…" he started to say but was cut off by Ichigo kicking him in the shin.

"No Zanpaktou in the house!" Ichigo hissed at him. Byakuya muttered something under his breath before kicking the strawberry back and picking the lights up once again.

"Onii-chan what's Zanpaktou?" Yuzu asked over her shoulder.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Ichigo said simply, knowing it would appease his sister's curiosity for now. Byakuya glared at the teen before setting back to untangling the lights. Half an hour later all of the lights were untangled and on the tree. They put up the rest of the decorations on the tree until the only thing left was the star.

"I wanna put the star on top!" Yuzu yelled, pulling the tree topper out of the box.

"No I want to!" Karin stated as she yanked the star away from her sister.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu whined.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin cried. Ichigo shook his head and took the star away from the girl.

"No fighting. Santa won't like it," Ichigo scolded.

"Sorry," the girls apologized.

"Now how are we going to decide who puts the star up?" Ichigo mused. He thought about it for a few moments until Byakuya spoke up.

"Why can't they both put it on top?" he suggested.

"How the hel…err heck…are they supposed to do that?" Ichigo wanted to know.

"Both hold the star and put it on at the same time," Byakuya explained. Yuzu and Karin looked at each other.

"That could work!" they said.

"But I can't lift you both at once," Ichigo stated. Byakuya shook his head and picked Karin up, setting her on his shoulders easily before taking the star from Ichigo.

"Now do the same," he instructed. Ichigo placed Yuzu on his shoulders like Byakuya did with Karin before they moved to stand in front of the tree. Byakuya handed the star up to the girl on his shoulders as he stepped closer to Ichigo. Karin held the star out for Yuzu to grab and they both placed the star on top. When they were done, Ichigo and Byakuya let the girls down onto the floor.

"Lets see how it looks," Ichigo said as he plugged the lights in. The tree lit up brightly and Byakuya's breath caught in his throat. He wasn't so sure about the whole tree thing but when he saw it lit up he was convinced.

"The tree looks beautiful as usual," came the booming voice of Isshin as he came into the room. He had been at the clinic but it had gotten late and he shut down for the night.

"Daddy Karin and I put the star up together!" Yuzu told him happily. He knelt down in front of his girls as Yuzu launched herself into his arms.

"It looks great," Isshin replied before nuzzling the little brunette's hair making her giggle.

"Can we write our letters now?" Karin asked. Isshin nodded.

"Of course! You can get started now if you'd like," he said. The girls ran off towards their rooms but Yuzu suddenly stopped on the stairs.

"What about dinner?" she asked.

"We'll order pizza, okay?" Isshin assured.

"Okay!" Yuzu said before disappearing into the other room. Byakuya turned to Ichigo with a questioning look.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Why are they writing letters?" Byakuya wanted to know. Isshin clapped a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Kids all over the world write letters to Santa telling them what they would like," Isshin explained.

"Only kids do this?" Byakuya wondered.

"No, anyone can write a letter to Santa. I'll help you write yours," Ichigo said.

"Mine?" Byakuya said in disbelief.

"If you don't my daughters will make you," Isshin warned the man with a laugh. Ichigo joined in the laughter as he grabbed the noble and led him into the kitchen where his sisters would be joining them shortly. As if on cue, no sooner had the two sat at the table the twins raced in and sat down as well. Ichigo pulled out two pieces of paper and pens before handing half to Byakuya. The noble took the items and stared down at the paper. Noticing the raven was confused, Ichigo slid his chair closer to him.

"Start it Dear Santa," Ichigo said.

"You've never written a letter to Santa before?" Yuzu asked curiously.

"Where I'm from we don't celebrate Christmas," Byakuya answered before Ichigo could say anything.

"Well, that sucks," Karin said as she wrote her letter.

"Yes it would seem so," Byakuya stated as he started his own letter.

"Do you know what you're going to ask for?" Yuzu asked.

"No. What should I ask for?" Byakuya asked the girl.

"Anything you want! If you're good and not on the naughty list you're sure to get it," Yuzu stated.

"The…naughty list?" Byakuya questioned.

"Santa has a list of girls and boys. The nice list has good girls and boys and the naughty list has the bad ones," Ichigo explained. Byakuya nodded in understanding.

"Which list will I have been placed on then?" he wondered. Ichigo laughed.

"I assure you it's the nice list," he said.

"I agree," Byakuya said as he dropped his head down to hide his smirk. Ichigo stared at the noble wide-eyed before letting out a laugh. He turned to his own piece of paper and started to write. He looked over and noticed the girls were almost done with theirs. Looking over at Byakuya he saw the man was tapping his pen against his lip before quickly writing something down. Soon the letters were finished and Ichigo reached for Byakuya's.

"What'd you write in yours?" he asked.

"Onii-chan! You know you can't peek!" Yuzu protested.

"Yeah it's a secret!" Karin added.

"Oh alright. I'll get the envelopes then," Ichigo relented as he got up and went out of the room. Byakuya sighed in relief. He really didn't want the strawberry to see what he wrote. Karin and Yuzu showed him how to fold his letter so it would be ready to be put in the envelope. Ichigo came back in and handed out the envelopes. They were already addressed and had stamps on them. They all put their letters in the envelopes and sealed them. Ichigo started laughing when he saw Byakuya's face after he licked his envelope like the others.

"Can we mail them now, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked. Isshin came in just then with his own letter.

"I don't see why not. You can mail mine for me as well, my son," Isshin stated, letting Ichigo know it was not a request.

"Okay but we better be quick. It's getting dark," Ichigo told them. The girls ran out of the room to get their coats. Byakuya stood up as he followed Ichigo and his father out of the room. The girls stood with their letters in hand waiting for their brother and his friend to get their coats on.

"Hurry up, Onii-chan," Yuzu cried.

"We're coming," Ichigo said with a smile as he wrapped a scarf around his neck. Byakuya did the same and they all left the house to mail the letters.

"Be quick about it. I already ordered the pizza," Isshin called out after them.

"Okay!" Ichigo called back as they headed up the street. The girls clung to tightly to their letters so that the slight wind wouldn't carry them away. Soon they were at the corner where the mailbox was located. Ichigo lifted Yuzu up so she could mail her letter. As he put her down and went to lift Karin, he noticed Byakuya already had the girl in his arms. She dropped her letter into the slot before getting set back on her feet. She moved out of the way so Ichigo and Byakuya could mail theirs. Now that they were done, they headed back towards the house. When they got their the pizza delivery guy was just leaving.

"Pizza!" Karin and Yuzu cried as they took off on a dead run towards the house. Ichigo chuckled at their antics.

"Full of energy, aren't they?" Byakuya said.

"Always," Ichigo agreed. They walked into the warm house and took their coats and shoes back off before heading into the kitchen where Isshin was just setting the plates out. There were two large pizzas on the counter sitting next to two large bottles of soda.

"Dig in!" Isshin said as he placed a slice of pizza on his daughters' plates. Ichigo went over to the table and grabbed two plates, handing one to Byakuya before moving on to the pizza. He took out a slice and placed it on the raven's plate before grabbing his own slice. They sat down at the table and Byakuya watched the others as they started to eat the pizza. He wasn't sure he would like eating such a thing without his chopsticks but apparently there was no need for them. As soon as Ichigo took a bite, Byakuya picked up his own and tried it. Liking it, he finished off the slice quickly.

"Would you like another slice?" Isshin asked.

"Yes, please," Byakuya said as he started to get up. Isshin held his hand up and took a slice out of the box, handing it to the noble. He thanked him before taking a bite of the slice. Isshin smiled knowingly as he bit into his own slice. When they were finished eating, Yuzu and Karin went upstairs to get ready for bed. Ichigo led Byakuya upstairs to his room while Isshin took care of the remnants of their meal. Ichigo went to his dresser and pulled out a pair of dark purple lounge pants and a black wife beater, handing them to Byakuya. He pulled out his own night clothes, which consisted of a pair of green lounge pants and a red wife beater. It was really warm in his room and they wouldn't need anything else. Byakuya turned around hurriedly when Ichigo pulled his shirt off over his head and flung it to the floor before following it with his jeans. He pulled on his lounge pants and turned around when Byakuya made no move to change.

"You gonna put those on or just stand there?" Ichigo asked him.

"I was giving you some privacy," Byakuya lied, not turning around. He didn't know what he would do if he saw the teen without his clothes on.

"It's fine. I'm dressed now anyway," Ichigo said as he opened the door to his room.

"Where are you going?" Byakuya asked.

"To see my father so you can get changed," Ichigo replied as he shut the door behind him. Byakuya blew out his breath and shook his head hard before quickly changing into the clothes Ichigo had given him. Once he was dressed he sat on the teen's bed to wait for Ichigo to come back. By the time Ichigo came back upstairs to his room, Byakuya was curled up on his bed sound asleep.

"Guess we really wore him out," Ichigo whispered as he covered the man with his blanket. He went over to his closet and pulled out the extra futon he kept there along with a blanket and pillow. He settled down onto the futon after shutting off the light.

"Good night, Byakuya," he said as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Ichigo was up early watching the sun come up through the snowy skies. He could tell that it was rather cold outside but he wouldn't let something like that keep the happiness out of his heart. It was Christmas Eve and they would be spending the day together as a family as soon as everyone else was up. Yuzu came downstairs a few minutes later surprised to see her brother standing in the kitchen.

"You're up early, Onii-chan," she said softly, so as not to startle him.

"Morning, Yuzu. I couldn't sleep any longer," Ichigo said as he ruffled the girl's hair. Yuzu giggled as she hurried into the kitchen to start breakfast. Ichigo sat at the table while Yuzu busied herself with making the food. She set a cup of orange juice in front of her brother before going back to the stove. They stayed quiet for a few moments until Ichigo absent-mindedly started humming a Christmas tune. It was rather catchy and Yuzu started to sing along with it.

"_I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do. Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy, I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you? He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue. Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do_," Yuzu sang as Ichigo continued to hum. "_I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs. Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do, no crocodiles, no rhinoceroses I only like hippopotamuses. And hippopotamuses like me too_," Ichigo sang as he joined Yuzu. Just then Karin came into the room and sang out the next part. "_Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian. There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage. I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairsOh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there_," Karin sang out, causing the other two to turn around. Karin walked up to them and sat down at the table next to Ichigo while Yuzu went back to tending the stove. They all sang the last part of the song together. _"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do, no crocodiles or rhinoceroses I only like hippopotamuses. And hippopotamuses like me too!" _they finished. Unbeknownst to them all, Byakuya was standing in the doorway watching them. He had heard the strawberry and Yuzu singing in the kitchen and decided to come see them himself but he quickly hid when Karin appeared. Once she sat down and their backs were again facing away from him he crept to the kitchen doorway. He watched them with a half-way grin as they started to sing the song once more. He jumped when he felt a hand clap on his shoulder.

"Why don't you go in and join them?" Isshin asked loudly, causing his children to turn and look at him.

"Morning, Dad. Breakfast is ready," Yuzu said as she set the food on the table.

"Good morning, my most precious children," Isshin replied. "And to you, Byakuya." Byakuya nodded at the man as he pushed the noble into the kitchen and made him sit at the table. Isshin sat down between his daughters and began to eat. Yuzu had made bacon, eggs and waffles with orange juice and hot tea.

"What are we doing today?" Karin asked.

"It's Christmas Eve! We go shopping of course!" Isshin told them.

"Yay!" the girls cried while Ichigo groaned. He hated shopping on Christmas Eve; the crowds of people everywhere pushing and shoving annoyed him to no end. And not to mention he was solely responsible for keeping an eye on both girls while they did their own shopping. Now adding to all of that, he would have to keep an eye on the Kuchiki heir as well! After eating a quick breakfast they all got ready to go out shopping. They bundled up warmly and headed out in to the snow to walk to the mall. In no time they made it to the mall and headed inside.

"Okay we will meet back here in three hours for lunch. Got it?" Isshin said once they reached the food court.

"Three hours. Got it," Ichigo said as he checked his watch. It was exactly 9 AM. Isshin made sure the girls had plenty of money before pulling Byakuya to the side. He pressed a wad of money into his hand with a smile.

"I know you don't have money for gifts so consider this my Christmas gift to you," he said as he stepped back.

"I…thank you, Isshin-san," Byakuya said not knowing what else to say. Isshin simply nodded and walked off to do his shopping.

"Okay come on you guys. You girls stay close and I mean it," Ichigo stated firmly.

"Ichi-nii how am I gonna get your gift if you're with me?" Karin asked.

"I won't look when you pick it out, okay?" Ichigo tried.

"You'll peek! Why can't I look on my own?" Karin asked.

"I need to keep an eye on you both. You know that," Ichigo reminded her.

"Byakuya-san can go with me. I'll be safe with him," Karin countered. Ichigo looked over at the noble uncertainly.

"I don't know…" he said.

"I will make sure no harm comes to your sister," Byakuya assured the teen. Ichigo looked from the Shinigami to his sister's pleading eyes. He never could say no when she turned on the puppy eyes. Sighing in defeat he nodded.

"Okay I will trust you that nothing happens to her," he said.

"You have my word," Byakuya stated.

"Yes! Let's go Byakuya-san," Karin yelled happily as she took the man's hand and started off away from Ichigo and Yuzu. Ichigo watched them go for a minute until Yuzu pulled on his hand.

"Onii-chan lets go!" she cried as she tugged him along.

"Alright, alright," Ichigo laughed as she pulled him away. Karin led Byakuya through the crowded mall going in and out of the stores. Karin darted into one store almost knocking into one woman who gave Byakuya a dirty look.

"Sorry," Karin called back as they disappeared inside. They wandered around the store while Karin picked up a few things for Yuzu and her father. Byakuya looked at many things while waiting for the raven haired girl and slipped his hand into his pocket. He was surprised when he felt the wad of money Isshin had given him. He had forgotten the man had given it to him. Isshin had said it was to get gifts but what should he buy? He hardly knew these people and he wasn't sure what they would like. Once Karin was finished looking around they went up to the cash registers to pay for the stuff. Byakuya watched the girl interact with the cashier hoping to get some idea of how this…shopping thing worked. After everything was paid for, Karin took his hand once more and they left the store.

"Are you all done?" Byakuya asked.

"Nope, I still have a few gifts to get," Karin told him with a smile. They walked through the mall until they got to another store and Karin darted into it, followed by the noble. This store was more crowded than the last few they had been in. Karin held tight to the man's hand as they pushed through the tons of people around them. They spent about half an hour in the store before Karin's eyes lit up. She let go of the raven's hand and darted across the aisle. She stood up on tip toe trying to reach the top shelf but she was too short. Shrugging it off, she sat her other bag at her feet and decided to climb up the shelves to get what she wanted.

"Should you be climbing that?" Byakuya asked.

"No," Karin told him with a sheepish grin. She was halfway up when he pulled her off and sat her on her feet.

"Then you shouldn't climb it," Byakuya stated firmly.

"But I need to get that for Ichigo," Karin said as she pointed to the item on the top shelf.

"I can reach it for you," Byakuya replied as he went to reach for it.

"NO! I wanna get it for Ichi-nii myself!" Karin protested. Byakuya looked at the girl with wide eyes. She was too short. How did she expect to be able to reach the shelf? He was about to say something when she looked up at him with the same puppy eyes she had given Ichigo earlier. Sighing in defeat he reached down and picked the girl up so she could grab the gift for her brother.

"Got it!" she cried happily as she turned in his arms and smiled at him. He went to set her down when a tall red headed woman smiled at him.

"How nice! Is you're daddy helping you get your gifts?" the woman asked. Not knowing what to say Karin pretended to hide her face.

"I'm not…" Byakuya started to say but was cut off. "You have a very cute daughter. Merry Christmas," the woman said before walking off. Once she was gone, Karin lifted her head to look at the noble who was staring at her curiously. Karin could see a hint of red adorning the man's cheeks.

"You can put me down now," she said. Byakuya shook his head as he set her back on her feet.

"Is that all you wanted?" he asked.

"Yup. I have just one more gift but I'll get that later," Karin replied. Just then a large clock chimed out loudly. Byakuya and Karin turned in the direction of the sound.

"It's almost 12," Byakuya noted.

"Oh crap! We gotta meet dad and the others!" Karin cried as she darted towards the front of the store.

"Karin wait!" Byakuya called out after the girl. She stopped just before she got to the door. "You have to pay for that!"

"Kuso!" Karin bit out as she turned back towards the registers. She noticed Byakuya was carrying her bag that she had left behind when she heard the clock chime. She hurried through the line and quickly paid for the gift, not bothering to wait for them to bag it up. She simply stuffed it into the bag Byakuya was holding before grabbing his hand once again and running out of the store. They made their way back to the food court where Isshin, Ichigo and Yuzu were waiting. Yuzu was happily munching on a pretzel.

"What took you so long? You're 10 minutes late!" Ichigo stated.

"We were at the other end of the mall," Karin told them.

"Its alright, my son. They're here now so lets get something to eat," Isshin said. They each went to get their own food and sat back down at the table. After eating, they went back to shopping. This time Yuzu went with Byakuya and Karin went with Ichigo so they could get the rest of their gifts. Isshin went back to his own shopping as he had to get for everyone. Once their shopping was done they met up two hours later to go home. Once back at home they went into separate rooms to wrap their gifts. Byakuya sat on the Ichigo's bed while the strawberry teen wrapped his gifts. Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see the noble had fallen asleep while waiting for him to finish. He smiled to himself as he quickly wrapped Byakuya's gift and put it with the others. He left the room to let the raven sleep before returning a few hours later to wake him for dinner.

"Byakuya time to wake up. Dinner is ready," Ichigo said as he leaned close to the man's face. Byakuya's eyes shot open when he felt a warm breath across his lips.

"Ichigo?" he said questioningly.

"Time to eat," Ichigo smiled as he straightened up. Byakuya sat up quickly and swung his legs over the side of the bed before standing up and following the teen downstairs. Everyone was waiting for them at the table. After they were seated Yuzu dished out the food to everyone before sitting down and eating herself. They laughed and joked throughout the meal and Karin had slightly embarrassed the noble when she told them about the woman who mistook him for her father.

"You could pass for her father," Isshin agreed, causing the others to laugh.

"Would you pass the rice…Daddy?" Ichigo said while trying to keep a straight face but one look at the raven's face had him failing miserably. When the meal was over and cleaned up, they all moved to the living room where Isshin sat on the love seat opposite Ichigo and Byakuya. Karin and Yuzu had sat in between them as their father read T'was The Night Before Christmas as they did every year. The others listened quietly as Isshin read the story to them. Before he was able to finish, Karin and Yuzu curled up into Byakuya and Ichigo and fell asleep. Isshin finished the tale and looked over at them. He smiled at the sight before him. Somehow Karin had managed to crawl into Byakuya's lap while Yuzu did the same to Ichigo.

"I think they should be moved to their beds," he said softly so as not to awaken the two girls.

"We'll take them up," Ichigo said as he cradled Yuzu to his chest and stood up, followed by the raven. They took the girls upstairs and put them in their beds as quietly as possible. Once they were settled into their beds Ichigo and Byakuya went back downstairs to where Isshin was waiting.

"All settled in?" Isshin asked.

"Yup, they should be out till tomorrow morning," Ichigo replied.

"Good. How about some eggnog?" Isshin asked as he stood up and went into the kitchen. Ichigo and Byakuya followed behind him.

"Sounds good to me," Ichigo stated as he leaned against the counter. Isshin opened the fridge and looked inside before letting out a sigh of disappointment. He shut the door and looked over at the other two.

"We're out of eggnog. And I was looking forward to a glass of it, too," he said.

"We can go get some before the store closes," Ichigo offered as he moved away from the counter.

"We will?" Byakuya said. Ichigo nodded.

"It just isn't Christmas without a big glass of eggnog. Right, goat-face?" he said.

"That is correct, my son," Isshin agreed. Ichigo left the room but quickly came back in, grabbed hold of Byakuya and yanked him out of the kitchen. Isshin burst out laughing at the pair until he heard the front door open and slam shut.

Ichigo and Byakuya went out into the moonlit snowy streets and headed out towards the store. They walked in silence for a while until they came upon a woman standing out in the snow trying to pick up some packages that she had dropped. Ichigo hurried to her side to help her. Byakuya was not far behind. They picked up her packages and went to hand them to her when their eyes met.

"It's you. From the mall, right?" Ichigo asked. The woman studied him uncertainly for a moment before realization set in.

"Yes, Aito's mom. I'm Mai," the woman replied.

"How is he?" Ichigo asked as he handed her the presents. It was then that he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks before she looked away.

"He's in the hospital. I was going to see him and give him his gifts," Mai told them.

"You're giving them to him tonight?" Byakuya said confused. Wasn't it traditional to wait till Christmas day to give presents?

"Tonight may be the only chance I have left," Mai said as a sob was tore from her throat.

"What? Why?" Ichigo asked in concern.

"He took a…turn for the worse. He may not…make it through… the night," Mai explained brokenly as another sob was tore from her. Ichigo went to her and pulled her to him in a comforting embrace. Byakuya looked on as the teen held the crying woman. He felt something in his chest tighten as he fought back the tears that threatened to consume him. Why was he feeling like this? He dealt with death on a daily basis. It was just something that a Shinigami had to do. But there was something about the thought of the little boy's life being extinguished at such a young age that made him choke back a sob of his own. Ichigo stepped back away from the woman and put a hand on her shoulder.

"My father owns the Kurosaki Clinic. Let me know how things go one way or the other, okay?" he said. Mai nodded as she accepted the handkerchief Byakuya held out to her. He didn't know what made him do it but he felt that it was something he should do.

"Thank you," Mai said simply as she wiped her tears away.

"You are welcome," Byakuya replied. She went to hand him back the handkerchief until he held up his hand. "Keep it." Mai smiled at them both before going on her way to the hospital to see her son before it was too late. Byakuya looked over at Ichigo who was hurriedly wiping tears out of his own eyes.

"Lets get that eggnog so we can get back," Ichigo stated before walking away. Byakuya simply followed behind him until he managed to catch up to the fast walking teen. From the way the boy was walking he could tell the news from Aito's mom had really affected him. They walked to the store in silence and got the eggnog before hurrying back home. When they walked in Isshin could tell by the look on his son's face that something had clearly upset him. He said nothing as he sat the carton of eggnog on the table and slumped into the chair. Byakuya didn't know what to say when Isshin looked into his eyes.

"What's the matter, my son?" Isshin asked gently as he sat next to the teen. Ichigo looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"We met a little boy who had cancer two days ago at the mall," he started.

"Cancer? How old was he?" Isshin asked.

"Three or four. His mom was going to the hospital to see him. He might not make it through the night," Ichigo bit out before he broke down into full forced sobs. Isshin pulled the teen close and held him tight against him until the sobs had stopped. Looking down Isshin noticed the boy had fallen asleep. Standing up gently so as not to waken him, he lifted the strawberry into his arms and carried him upstairs to his bed, followed by Byakuya. Isshin laid the boy onto his bed before covering him up with the blanket.

"I will stay with him," Byakuya said quietly. Isshin simply nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him softly. Byakuya was worried about the teen. How could a little child he didn't know and had never met before cause him this much grief? He really couldn't understand it but he knew it was hurting the strawberry. Byakuya wasn't sure what he could do to help the teen. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he left the room through the window.

Ichigo awoke the next morning to see Byakuya sitting on the edge of his bed looking out the window at the newly fallen snow. The sun was glistening off of it and Byakuya didn't think he would ever get enough of the beautiful sight.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo said sleepily. The noble turned to look at the teen who was starting to sit up.

"Good morning, Ichigo," he said. Just then the bedroom door burst open and the twins ran into the room.

"Onii-chan! Get up! Santa's been here!" Yuzu cried excitedly.

"Come on, Byakuya-san!" Karin yelled as she grabbed the raven's hands and pulled him off the bed.

"Alright, I'm coming," Byakuya relented as he fought to hide his smirk. Ichigo rolled out of bed still wearing his clothes from the night before and followed the two excited girls down the stairs. As they reached the tree Byakuya was surprised to see the amount of presents bursting from it. He looked over to the side only to see Isshin standing by the stockings with a smile on his face.

"Merry Christmas, my children!" he cried. Yuzu and Karin wasted no time in running over to him and diving into his arms.

"Merry Christmas, daddy," they said in unison.

"Are you ready to open presents?" Isshin asked. The girls jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yes!" they yelled. Isshin took his usual spot in front of the tree as he readied to hand out the presents. Everyone else sat in front of him and waited patiently while he handed out the gifts. One after another Ichigo and the girls ripped open their gifts. When they were finished opening them they noticed Byakuya hadn't opened any of his.

"Aren't you going to open yours?" Karin asked him. Byakuya said nothing as he stood up and went upstairs to Ichigo's room. The others stared after him in confusion. He came back a few moments later carrying haphazardly wrapped gifts in his arms. He sat down again by Ichigo and handed out the gifts. He waited while holding his breath as they opened their gifts. He didn't know what to get any of them but he observed them during the time they were shopping and had picked up a few things when they weren't looking. Karin got a new soccer ball, Yuzu a cookbook, and Isshin got gift certificates to a local restaurant he seemed to like and some movie passes for him and the family. Ichigo was given a large box of chocolates since the raven had noticed the boy had quite a sweet tooth.

"Thank you, Byakuya-san!" the girls cried as they threw themselves into his arms to give him a hug. He froze up for a moment before hugging them back. Isshin stuck his hand out to shake his hand.

"Thank you for the gifts, my friend," he said as a tear slipped down his face. Byakuya simply nodded as he shook the man's hand. Ichigo turned to face him and gave him a quick hug. Byakuya didn't know what to do. The strawberry teen was actually hugging him. Did he hug him back or just sit there? Before he was able to make up his mind, Ichigo let go of him.

"Now open yours," Ichigo commanded. Byakuya looked down at the presents beside him before picking up a box that was wrapped in bright pink paper with a yellow bow. The tag had said it was from Yuzu. He opened it to reveal a large tin of fudge that she had made. The next gift was wrapped in green with a red bow on top. It was from Karin. It was a book of the Christmas Story. Inside the cover it was inscribed: _"To Byakuya in celebration of your first Christmas with the Kurosaki family."_ Byakuya closed the book and picked up the next gift which was from Isshin. It was wrapped in glittery blue paper with a white bow on top. He opened it to reveal a snow globe with a red base. Inside there was a tiny village and a sleigh with Santa sitting in it and reindeer in the front. Byakuya stared at it in confusion.

"Like this," Isshin said as he took the globe from the noble. He wound it up before shaking it up. He turned it upright as music began to play and snow fell over the village. Byakuya watched it in fascination as the words rang out into the quiet room.

"_Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peaceeee, sleep in heavenly peace,"_

"Thank you, Isshin," Byakuya said. The last present was from Ichigo. It was wrapped in silvery paper with a golden bow. Byakuya opened it only to find a medium sized black case. He opened it to reveal a set of calligraphy brushes. He said nothing as he simply continued to stare at them. Ichigo was getting worried that he didn't like the gift.

"Do you not like them?" he asked timidly. Byakuya looked up to meet the boy's eyes.

"I like them very much," he said. Ichigo gave him a smile that caused his breath to catch in his throat. Yuzu jumped up and ran into the kitchen before coming back with the trash can. Everyone helped to pick up the wrapping paper before putting their gifts away. Yuzu set to work making the dinner while Isshin and Karin helped. A few hours and one football game later, the food was ready and they all sat down to eat dinner. Yuzu and Karin served it up before joining the rest of them. Karin and Yuzu challenged Ichigo and Byakuya to a snowball fight after dinner which they agreed to. When the dinner was finished and everything put away they all headed outside to start the fight. Byakuya wasn't sure what to do and he jumped a little when Karin hit him with the first snowball. He turned to look at her but she looked away whistling innocently. Byakuya looked over at Ichigo who showed him what to do before making his own snowy weapon and throwing it easily at the girl. She let out a shriek as it hit her and she ran away towards Yuzu who fired one at Ichigo. Isshin stayed out of the way and took many pictures of them having fun. He was glad that the usually stoic man was loosening up and enjoying himself with his family. After a while the girls got cold and went back inside with Isshin to warm up. Ichigo dropped to his knees in the snow and made another snowball. Byakuya prepared himself to get hit but was surprised to see the strawberry rolling it along the ground, making it bigger.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Making a snowman," Ichigo replied over his shoulder. "Start another ball, but make it smaller." Byakuya moved to kneel next to him and did as he was told. Soon they had the snowman put together and were putting on the finishing touches. Finally finished, Ichigo smiled at the shivering man next to him.

"I could use some of Yuzu's hot cocoa. How about you?" he said.

"Sounds good to me," the raven stated. They went back inside and headed to the kitchen where there were two steaming cups of hot cocoa waiting for them. Yuzu and Karin had already changed into their pajamas and headed off to bed. Isshin left to check things at the clinic, leaving the strawberry and raven alone in the kitchen. They sat down and sipped their hot cocoa in silence for a while until Byakuya broke it.

"Ichigo, I must return to the Seireitei tonight. I've been gone long enough," the noble stated.

"I know. I'm surprised Rukia hasn't come looking for you," Ichigo said.

"I am sure she knows where I am," Byakuya scoffed. Ichigo smiled.

"Did you enjoy your first Christmas?" he asked.

"Yes, it was…an enjoyable experience," Byakuya conceded after a moment.

"I'm glad," Ichigo replied. "When are you leaving?" Byakuya sat his cup down and looked into the boy's eyes.

"I should be going soon. I have to return my gigai to Uruhara-san," he stated, a little sadly. He was enjoying himself at the Kurosaki family household, although he wouldn't admit it out loud. Finished with his cocoa, Ichigo stood up and placed his cup in the sink while Byakuya followed suit. Ichigo stopped in the doorway of the kitchen to wait for him until a confused look came over his face.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, noticing the odd expression on the noble's face.

"Has that always been there?" Byakuya asked, pointing above the teen's head. Ichigo looked up to see mistletoe hanging there. His face turned red as he realized his father must have placed it there before he left.

"No, I think its new…" he trailed off.

"What is it for?" Byakuya couldn't help but wonder. And why was asking about it making Ichigo blush? Ichigo cleared his throat and forced himself to meet the man's eyes.

"It's mistletoe. If someone stands under it and is caught, the person who caught them is supposed to kiss them," he explained. Byakuya's eyes went wide as he neared the boy.

"Kiss them?" he wanted to make sure. Ichigo could say nothing as the noble came closer and closer. Soon the raven's lips were just inches from his own. Not trusting himself to speak, the teen just nodded and he felt the soft lips of the noble against his own. The kiss started out soft and gentle but soon turned serious. Byakuya nipped at the bottom of Ichigo's lip, asking for entrance which was quickly granted. The man wasted no time in delving his tongue into the strawberry's mouth. He tasted of mint and hot chocolate but he liked the taste. Ichigo withered against the raven as he wrapped his arms around his neck and let out a soft mewl. Byakuya groaned at the sound but soon they had to break apart for air. Ichigo stood breathless as he stared into Byakuya's eyes. They stayed like that just holding each other before Byakuya spoke up.

"What did you ask Santa for anyway?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I asked him for a kiss from the one I love," Ichigo said almost shyly. Byakuya was shocked. Ichigo loved him?

"I asked for the courage to kiss you," Byakuya admitted.

"I'm glad you did," Ichigo said as he pressed his lips against the noble's once more. Soon they broke apart once again for fear their lungs would burst from lack of air.

"I really should be going," Byakuya stated. Ichigo simply nodded. He didn't want the man to go but he knew he couldn't stay any longer. They walked upstairs to his room to gather Byakuya's gifts before going back downstairs and out the door. They walked in silence to the Urahara shoten so Byakuya could return the borrowed gigai. Since everyone was asleep inside, they left the gigai just inside the shop doors. They headed back towards the clinic and waited for the Senkaimon to open up. Suddenly a raven haired woman came running up to Ichigo. He quickly recognized her as Mai, Aito's mother.

"Ichigo!" she cried. He immediately went on alert but as she got closer she threw her arms around his neck with a big smile.

"What? What is it?" he asked hurriedly.

"He's alive! He's gonna be just fine!" Mai exclaimed.

"What? But how can that be?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

"It was an angel. A real Christmas angel!" Mai stated.

"An…angel?" Ichigo said in disbelief. Mai nodded her head enthusiastically.

"She appeared at midnight last night and said, "_Souten Keshun, I reject_!" she explained. "The cancer is completely gone." As soon as the words left her mouth he instantly knew Orihime was the angel she was talking about. He looked up at Byakuya only to see him standing in front of the entrance to the Senkaimon. Byakuya smiled a genuine smile and gave a nod before going through the door and disappearing inside. Ichigo smiled as he watched him go, for he knew who it was that sent the 'angel' to the hospital. He turned his attention back to the raven haired woman in front of him who was still smiling excitedly.

"That's great to hear! Come inside and I'll fix you a cup of hot cocoa," he said before leading the woman into his house. He looked out to where Byakuya had disappeared before smiling once more and closing the door behind him.

The next morning Ichigo was awakened with a message sent to him via a Hell's butterfly. It was an invitation from Byakuya.

"_Ichigo, I enjoyed our time under the mistletoe. I was reading up on your other human holidays and would like you to spend New Year's with me in my private manor-Byakuya Kuchiki." _Ichigo simply smiled as he hurriedly jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, grabbed his soul badge and jumped out the window into the early morning air.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this story! I would appreciate it if you would leave a review after reading this. As always, any flames will be used to roast the marshmallows to make my s'mores! Merry Christmas everyone!**


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